fort monroe

Story Structure &
Character
Development

for

Interactive & Immersive

Screenwriter-Interactive Designer

Definitions: Scenario & Course of
Action

• Scenario:

>A scenario is a description of
the area, the environment,
means, objectives and events
during a specified time
frame related to significant
event(s) of interest.

> Scenarios may contain one
or more Courses of Action
(COA).

Source: Sim to C4I interoperability (SIMCI) Value
Methodology Workshop focused on Scenario
Generation, 18 August 2002

Definition: Story

A story is a complete dramatic
action - and in good stories, the
characters are shown through
the action and the action is

controlled through the

characters, and the result of
this is meaning that derives
from the whole presented
experience.

— Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and
Manners

Critical Aspects of Story

• A complete dramatic action

• The characters are shown through
the action

• The action is controlled through the
characters

• The result of this is meaning that
derives from the whole

Critical Aspects of Story: Drama

* A complete dramatic action

> Illustrates an idea or theme by grounding it in
human experience

> Shows the forces at work in the conflict
between a character's goals and the obstacles

> Provides the power that drives events forward

> Engages the emotions that reflect and
reinforce...

• The significance of the theme

• The characters' struggle to attain their goals

• The meaning and resonance of events, their
climax and resolution.

Critical Aspects of Story: Character

• The characters are shown through the
action

> Characters define themselves by their actions

> Characters' actions invite us to anticipate their
future actions under certain circumstances
(and sometimes be surprised).

• The action is controlled through the
characters

> Characters are driven by their needs and goals.

> A Character's efforts to overcome obstacles and
attain his goals drives the dynamic of conflict.

Critical Aspects of Story: Meaning

* The result of this is meaning that
derives from the whole

> A lesson or moral

> An understanding of the human condition
and the nature of human experience

• Story integrates various elements and
aspects of human experience

• Story can provide an interpretation of that
experience

• The interpretation: A doorway to
understanding - both practical and
emotional

Story structure and technique: Application
and utility for training

• An effective medium for
understanding and explaining
warfighting and operational
experience in general

> Identifies and presents significant events

> Illuminates the forces and dynamics that
determine conditions and outcome

> Shows the relationship of cause and effect

>• Raises lessons to high definition

> Makes all of these elements vivid and
memorable

Screenplay Structure: Story Arc

ACT ACT 2

1

ACT

3

Crisis

Progressive

Comglicatio

Clima

Resoluti

on

x

Incitin

g

I

Inciting Incident: The first major
event of Jthe telling, is the primary
cause for all that follows. It puts
iutn^motion the Qfhnr elements of
the story arc: Progessive
complications. Crisis, Climax and
Resolution.

Ref: STORY by Robert McKee

Screenplay Structure: Story Arc

ACT

1

ACT2

Progressive

Comglicatio

Act 2
Climax

Mid-Act

Climax

Incitin

g

Incide >

X/

Act 1
Climax

Crisis

ACT

3

Clima

Resoluti

on

x

Progressive Complications

The protagonist(s) must struggle
and overcome the complications
that ^threaten l/is success.

The story advances through
conflict.

The progression builds by drawing
upon greater and greater
capacities from characters...
putting them
greater nsR.

IcKee

Screenplay Structure: Story Arc

ACT

1

ACT2

Progressive

Comglicatio

Incitin

g

I

ACT

3

Crisis

Clima

Resoluti

on

A state of
things in
which a
decisive
change on
way or the
other, is
impending.

Lajos Egri, The
Art of Dramatic
Writina

K

Crisis: The protagonist is face to
face with the most powerful,
focused forces of antagonism in
his existence.

A true dilemma that requires a
decision.

The protagonist is under
maximum pressure.

The protagonist's decision reveals
the

Screenplay Structure: Story Arc

ACT

1

ACT2

Progressive

Comglicatio

Incitin

g

I

Crisis

ACT

3

Clima

Resoluti

on

x

Climax:

A culmination.

A crowning major reversal
(success or failure/

•Should appear inevitable based on
what has gone before.

Full of meaning.

Ref: STORY by Robert McKee

Screenplay Structure: Story Arc

ACT

1

ACT2

Progressive

Comglicatio

Crisis

Incitin

g

I

ACT

3

Clima

Resolution:

Resoluti

on

x

The place to climax subplots.

Can show the spread of climactic
effects.

NOTE: In military training
and simulation
applications, this would be
an End State.

Ref: STORY by Robert McKee

Screenplay Structure & Military
Reality

• How dramatic structure in the
screenplay paradigm can frame the
progression and impact of significant
events in a real world scenario.

• Example: Mapping the Battle of
Mogadishu to screenplay structure.

Battle of Mogadishu

ACT

1

ACT2

Crisis

Incitin

g

I

Progressive

Comglicatio

i Act 1 Climax; Wolcott BH
Figfi?rng delays pull
Wferabs targets
Launch TF

(Clan Leaders)

Spotted

Main Story Arc

ACT

3

Clima

Resoluti

on

A

Ref: BLACKHAWK DOWN
screenplay by Ken Nolan; STORY
by Robt. McKee

Battle of Mogadishu: Main Story Arc

ACT

1

Incitin

g

Incide

ACT2

Progressive

Comglicatio

Crisis

ACT

3

Clima

Resoluti

on

x

Mid-Act 2 Climax: Durant BH

— U.^^^ftvoy becomes
Soinatis race to crash
Act latltemax: Wolcott BH

Figfi?rng delays pull
Wferabs targets
Launch TF

(Clan Leaders)

Spotted

Ref: BLACKHAWK DOWN
screenplay by Ken Nolan; STORY
by Robt. McKee

The Mid-Act 2 Climax

"Soldiers learn to sense when a situation begins
to go sour, when the options start to slip away
and the enemy gains the upper hand...

Military historians dignify this phenomenon by
talking about culminating points in operations...

Grunts have their own term, characteristically
laconic — losing it.

The special operators lost it in Mogadishu,
Somalia, at precisely 1629 on Sunday, 3 October
1993, when the second U.S. helicopter went
down."

— Death Ground: Today's American Infantry in Battle,
Daniel P. Bolger

Battle of Mogadishu: Main Story Arc

ACT

1

Incitin

g

Incide

ACT2

Progressive

Comglicatio

Crisis

ACT

3

Clima

Resoluti

on

x

Act 2 Climax: TF Ranger

Somalis overru n^fflBfififl /s
Conwashlsifctdon effort to reach

LostRjUSflJy abandons search for 1 st

■ Midl^flgdcflaiiax: Durant BH
U.J$i4^ftvoy becomes

Soinatis race to crash
™ Act latltemax: Wolcott BH

Figfi?rng delays pull
Wferabs targets
Launch TF

(Clan Leaders)

Spotted

Ref: BLACKHAWK DOWN
screenplay by Ken Nolan; STORY
by Robt. McKee

Battle of Mogadishu: Main Story Arc

ACT

1

Incitin

g

Incide

ACT2

Progressive

Comglicatio

Crisis

ACT

3

Clima

Resoluti
T&Tsafe at
StadiAim

Form/laun(S££§9$§le

dium

X

Act 2 dtoragty TF Ranger

Somalis overrunH^ffiBSft's
Conwashlsaitdon effort to reach

LostPjgftflJy abandons search for 1 st

Midl^flgdcflaiiax: Durant BH

— U.^^^ftvoy becomes
Soinatis race to crash
™ Act latltemax: Wolcott BH

Figfi?rng delays pull
Wferabs targets
Launch TF

(Clan Leaders)

Spotted

Ref: BLACKHAWK DOWN
screenplay by Ken Nolan; STORY
by Robt. McKee

Mogadishu: Training Scenario
Options

Within the same master scenario, different plot lines
offer a variety of tasks & challenges for different levels
of training.

• Main Plot Line

> Sgt. Eversmann commands Chalk Four

> Small unit tactical focus

• Subplots

> TF CDR Steele: Mission C2

> Delta operators

> Lt. Col. Bill David's 2 BN, 14th inf rolls to
the rescue

Interactive Story Design: Use the
Screenplay Paradigm

• Define the crisis and climax and work
backward

> Define the setting and overall performance
challenge

> Given the trainee's (the protagonist)
assigned goal and the setting and situation,
define the ultimate crisis that would
threaten to defeat his efforts.

> Define failure and success and how to
reflect either in terms of a story event and
media as the climax (note: sometimes this is
easier to do after creating the complications
and outcome variables in Act 2).

Interactive Story Design: Use the
Screenplay Paradigm

* Define the complications and obstacles
that trainees must overcome as they
approach the crisis.

> The learning objectives should be the basis
for complications and obstacles.

> Some complications can be created solely for
the purpose of keeping the narrative dramatic
and the challenge high.

>The Trainee's resources and positioning for
success at the crisis point can be based on
how well he/she has managed each
complication.

> The complications should grow in magnitude
in order to maintain the dramatic power of
the story line.

Interactive Story Design: Use the
Screenplay Paradigm

• Determine the act climaxes

> In addition to bringing the dramatic
progress of the story to high definition, act
climaxes function as intermediate outcomes
and checks for progress.

> Determine variable possibilities for each
climax based on a success/failure equation
drawn from trainee performance related to
each complication.

> Determine the story event and media
representation that presents each climax.

Interactive Story Design: Use the
Screenplay Paradigm

• Determine the inciting incident

> This is the incident which launches the
story and its embedded continuing
challenge.

> If the subject matter provides the
opportunity, consider choosing a striking or
dramatic moment that provokes a sense of
something at stake.

> It could be a single event or message or a
close order cascade of information which
creates a sense of urgency or simply
unease as it rapidly sketches the shape of
the challenge.

Interactive Story: Volume and Depth
of Content

• Lower volume, less depth

> Skills & Drills

> Procedures

• Higher Volume, more depth

> Behavior in complex environments (TOC,
CP, etc.).

> Intellectual skills (analysis, creating COAs,
interpretation of information & activity in
the Battle Space).

> Interpersonal communication, negotiation
(Civil Affairs, liaison with locals & orgs in
AOR).

Interactive Design

• Skills & Drills/Procedures

> Basic branching throughout: choices, intermediate
outcomes and final outcome.

> Example: Battle drill flow charts.

> Story line is the spine of the interactive presenting
key challenges, context for the making a choice.

> Software program can capture choices for
feedback and correction.

> Can build coaching function in (toggle on/off
depending on "crawl, walk, run" status of trainee).

Interactive Design

• Complex environments (TOC, CP, etc.)

> Branching for options and outcomes can be
confined to key points in the scenario.

> In the face of worthy challenges, processing
information and problem solving on a team
level is inherently immersive and interactive.

• Interactive design supports this by

♦ Providing provocative and challenging story
events and information that cascade into the
environment and keep the team members’
heads in the game.

♦ making a rich body of story-based information
available for mining via interactive tools and
input devices.

Interactive Design

• Complex environments (TOC, CP, etc.)
(Cont.)

> In the face of worthy challenges, processing
information and problem solving on a team
level is inherently immersive and
interactive.

• Branching to options and outcomes comes
into play when the team inputs its work
product.

• Example: Team mines interactive
environment for info, processes it into
visualization and/or COA, then inputs it as a
FRAGO or Sit Rep. The scenario advances as
a result.

Interactive Design: Coaching

• If the application is drill, correct,
repeat, coach can be a pop up as
needed.

• If the application involves a story with
complexity and depth, coaching should
be disguised as natural source of
information in the story environment.

> Making the coaching function too obvious
might work against the immersive qualities of
the story & environment.

> Virtual characters in the environment can warn
or correct in the same way their real
counterparts would in an operational situation.

Interactive Design: Keeping the
Trainee on TracE

• Artificial constraints make the story and
its world less real.

• Constraints should be "real world" and
grounded in the story.

• Direct Trainees to options with prompts
based on story and characters

> To pull the trainee in a certain direction, offer
options, information or opportunities that
trainee must attend to in order to move toward
his goal.

> Command elements, resources (intel, recon)
can provide directives and info that shut down
certain pathways/options and highlight others.

DISCUSSION